Friday, June 21st my Granny Piatt passed away. She was ninety one and a half. I have found it hard to articulate my feelings, for words seem insufficient to express the grandeur of this woman. She was literally at the center of my childhood. From her house being in the middle of our family farm to her involvement in my life. I can trace much of who I am and what I do to her influence. She taught me many things but mostly she showed me, by her family first example, how to live life. In the end she left this world just as she lived it; surrounded by her family and she wouldn't have had it any other way.
As I have been reflecting on the life and legacy of this dear woman who I called Granny one story stuck out in my mind. It best sums up her wisdom and ability to teach without telling you what to do. One day I came to her concerned with a childhood problem that seemed really hard to me at the time. She listened and then very easily shared a story with me. She told me of her beloved goats. Everyday she had to fill up two water buckets and walk them the long distance to the goat's barn. It was hard and the buckets were heavy. She would walk as far as she could. When she couldn't go any further, she would set the buckets down and cry. After a while she would pick up her buckets and finish walking them to the barn.
There is so much to this simple story. It has become part of my philosophy for life. No matter what the task, go as far as you can. When you feel like you can't go any further, stop, have a good cry and then pick yourself up and finish the task.
Granny Piatt
December 16, 1921 - June 21st, 2013
2 comments:
I love it Joni. I am so glad you shared. Granny Piatt was a wonderful woman, and truly an example I can see you have chosen to live by. I love you.
That's a great story--thanks for sharing it. I still can't believe we didn't see y'all while you were in Corpus, but then I rmbr we had a premie we were trying to survive with, and i chuckle :) Hopefully our paths will really cross again in the near future! I love your blog and your thoughts. I have been on a long absence from blogging--since October, ha! But hopefully the stars will align and i'll get the bug and the moments to do it. Please give everyone a hug from us--can't wait to get together again someday!
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